Too many places?

Yes,
Too many cities.
Two days in Copenhagen gives you no time to see the Danish countryside. You can barely see the city in two days.
Why are you going to Hamburg? I've been there, it is not once of the best tourist cities in Germany.
One day in Amsterdam, are you serious?

Are you going to spend any time in Brugges, except eating lunch. You need at least 4-5 hours to see the city and enjoy it.

Not sure what you plan to see in Normandy, but I strongly recommend seeing the Bayeux Tapestry. It is 900 years old and the colors are still like new. It tells the story of the Norman invasion of England.

Three days in Paris is short as well.

I suggest that you skip Copenhagen andHamburg and concentrate on Brugges, Paris and Normandy.

You have a lot of major cities and towns with very little time in any of them except Paris. Is there is a special reason for including Hamburg? Brugges will be a blur. If you drop Loire Valley and Hamburg you could have a better trip, giving more time to Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brugges and Normandy.

This will be a memorable experience on trains, in stations, getting to and from hotels, packing and unpacking. You may also have some good memories of certain sights in Copenhagen, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Normandy, and Amboise, and more memories of Paris since you're giving it two whole days -- wow!

Sorry to be sarcastic, really, but I do think you're rushing too much. Of the 13 days you've described above, only six don't involve moving between cities. Yes, European train travel is great, and for some people the journey is the destination, and maybe that's you too, in which case good luck. But to me this seems like "a bridge too far." Assuming that your flights are set for Copenhagen and Paris, maybe you should look at fewer stops on that route, like Copenhagen-Amsterdam-Paris. That would mean moving on only four days instead of seven, and having nine days among three cities (still too short for me but enough to get a feel for them).

Also, I see the appeal of most of your stopovers, but why Hamburg? Is there a personal or family connection there?

It might be helpful to know if you’ve already booked your airfare in to Copenhagen and out of Paris, that way folks can know what’s changeable and what’s not.

Also have you been to Europe before? I’m guessing it’s a first trip.

If you’ve not booked your airline I, too would cut Copenhagen and Hamburg in favor of more time in your other destinations.

"but why Hamburg?"

Maybe he/she wants one of those meat sandwiches with ketchup and pickles....??? ;-)

Agree with all the others that the itinerary is over-packed to a very serious degree, but you have a another issue looming, a financial one:

You're proposing to pick up a car in the Netherlands and drop it off in France. Doing a cross-border drop off like that virtually always comes with a painfully high extra fee--hundreds of euros.

Hi All!

This is exactly the type of feedback I need, so thanks!

The flights into Copenhagen and out of Paris have been set. I'm not sure how changeable they might be, because we are using air miles, since my husband travels a good bit. We have been to Europe before- Vienna, Salzburg and Venice, one week, very low key because we were broke (too long a story to go into here, but it involved prepaid airfare, and hotel points also, 10 years ago).

This time, it starte out with a random discussion without a map, hahaha. So, instead of London, I said I thought someplace in Scaninavia would be nice, and picked Copenhagen. My husband wanted to visit the Ww2 sights in Normandy. Everything else has sort of evolved as well-what's-in-between? Real life being what it is, we are now getting down to the nuts and bolts (that real life thing has been difficult this year, so doing anything, anywhere will be a pleasure) Hamburg got thrown in there as a RS candidate for an under appreciated German city since we would be passing through the north part of Germany. The Elbharmonie (sp) looks fascinating, and there are a few other interests that I've discovered, but maybe I'm only justifying the stop! It was The tight time planning in Ansterdam that got my attention. One evening , one full day, one evening. Let's see, we can see Anne Frank house, go to see Keukenhof, and (?) do we have enough time to walk around?! My husband (ever the optimist) says this can be a way to sample what we might want to go back and see...but I'm not sure I'm that confident. Life can be full of surprises! So, that's the rest of the story. :) Thanks for your help!

Thank you for the warning about the car, valid point! Apparently the drop off fee would be half the cost of the car. Total cost for the car $450 with Hertz, he says. I believe we need the car for Normandy and Amboise, but we are going to do some rethinking I suppose. Normandy is a must for him- Loire valley was a rave by my sister in law, but could potentially be trimmed. Thanks!

I might could part with Brugges, too.

If there's a serious interest in the Normandy D-Day sights, I urge you to sign up for one of the van trips run out of Bayeux. You'll learn so much more, and get around to far more locations, in the company of an experienced driver/guide. I was happy with Overlord Tours, but there are other options. Several folks have also mentioned Dale Booth.

There are lots of related museums in the area that are also worthwhile, but you may not have time for those. There are WW II-related sights in Amsterdam as well.

Great minds think alike :) Yes, Normandy and WW II are a big interest for him. He did make reservations for Bayeaux Shuttle for their minivan tour. That actually was another thing that got my attention in Amsterdam- the Danish resistance museum. Amsterdam seems nice for a number of reasons, Van Gogh, Canals, wandering...

The Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam is really good and would be a great precursor to your DDay tour.

To put it succinctly...

Too many places?

OMG yes. And I move fast. Even as someone who goes faster than most people here think is wise, I think your original plan is wildly unrealistic. Sorry.

Hint: A sure sign that you are slicing things too thinly is when you start seeing yourself plan days that are all split up, like "morning in X, drive to Y and have lunch, evening in Z" - I know because I do this (and fight the urges) all too often myself. Down, boy...

A hard truth: Your trip is 10 days. You can not count your arrival or departure days. And the day after you arrive you will be jet-laggged and probably only at 50% of yourself. With 9.5 actual days, you need to be ruthless. Nine days is a trip to France, not to Scandinavia, Germany, Netherlands, and France.

As I read your priorities, you want: Normandy & WWI sites, Chateaux of the Loire, and Paris. With about 9 days, there's your trip right there. Copenhagen? What are you thinking? Hamburg? Fuggedaboudit. Amsterdam? Doubtful (although technically possible, if you are very, very efficient everywhere).

Call me crazy if you want, but...here's how you fix this:
Fly in to Paris, spend a day or two there. PIck up your rental car (on the outskirts of the city, it's a very stressful place to drive).
Head out to Bayeaux, Normandy sites, maybe Mont St Michel (not far away). Spend a couple days across this area.
Head to the Loire Valley to get your chateaux fix (needs 1-2 days).
Drop your car in the Loire and train back to Paris for a couple days before flying home.
If you can arrange every stop with split-second timing and Swiss-watch efficiency, maybe, MAYBE you could hop a train to Amsterdam for a day before flying home from there. Do not forget to factor in the time it takes to get from point A to point B, plus time lost every time you move (check out, navigate, get lost, eat, get lost, find your way, check in, eat, etc.).

That is a beautiful trip (and still very hurried), to some of Europe's most wonderful places and experiences. You'll love it. Save the other places for a future trip. They'll still be there next time.

Driving exclusively in France also removes that painful $200 drop-off fee for your rental car.

Just my 2 eurocents. Hope this helps.

Yes, I do see a need to plan in- eat, get lost, get lost again (I thought you said it was this way! Arrg) find something pleasantly unexpected, check out, etc. You are spot on there! I have already eliminated Hamburg, and I could probably leave out Brugges, too. I may convince myself to skip Loire valley, much as my sister in law raved about it. Yes, Normandy is a must for my husband. Amsterdam needs more than a day, but that's my preference. I know about jet lag- my husband adapts well, me-not as well. Good point. I'd have a hard time scraping Copenhagen off of the list, too, since that flight has been booked. Not sure how possible to change. We will have to keep up the pruning, though! It will give us a reason to go back, right? Thanks for the rollicking narrative! I hope to enjoy this trip for sure!

One possibility: A (very) few days in Copenhagen then a budget-airline flight to Paris. No Amsterdam on this trip. Pack light so you don't pay a fortune in baggage fees. Check Skyscanner right now to see whether this is even a possibility. Fares for hops like that start low then ratchet upward as the departure day approaches.

If your goal is bucket list travel to tell your family and friends that you've been to the above locales, your itinerary will do the trick. If you really want to visit the cities and regions you travel, you need to pare this down and pick 3 cities maximum.

Yeah, it's true, I think I'm getting to that point!

It was starting to sound like a cruise, maybe...

Hi,

If your flights in and out (Copenhagen/Paris) are already fixed, don't change it. The itinerary is doable with a little shuffling. .

No problem getting to Hamburg from Copenhagen. Time your departure to leave Copenhagen early or later depending on how much time to be spent in Hamburg. Hamburg is the cultural center of North Germany. I would suggest taking the harbor tour in Hamburg, the Hafenrundfahrt.

On Amsterdam...I'd would skip, may be even Brugges...save that for the next trip. Add these days to France, go to Normandy for the war sites.

Hey! A vote for Hamburg! :) Our last name is of German origin, so it had a certain appeal but I think it may have to be tacked on to that mythical "next trip". At this hour, subject to change, I'm thinking of maybe Copenhagen-cheap flight to Amsterdam-then proceed to Normandy and Paris. Haven't figured out yet if I will be able to squish in my beloved train ride. I hope Amsterdam is as interesting as it looks!

The Thalys between Amsterdam and Paris is about three hours, a good "train fix" for you.

Using miles may mean you're not set in concrete on the flights. You might be able to change them, like into Amsterdam and home from Paris. Or round-trip Paris if you decide to focus the trip just on Paris-Normandy-Loire.

If you don't want to drive in or near Paris you could take the train to Caen, rent the car there, drive it in Normandy and down to Loire, then drop off at St-Pierre-le-Corps (near Tours) for a fast train right to CDG -- the day before your flight so you don't risk missing it. I agree with others that a good tour of the D-Day sites would be worth paying for instead of driving yourselves.

Didn't mean to dis Hamburg. Or Germany, or people with German names (mine's Dutch). Plus I love them with just ketchup. ;-)

Copenhagen to Hamburg is a decent trip by train, but if you are going further than Hamburg then a budget flight will be both cheaper and a lot faster. CPH- Amst or CPH-Paris you should fly.

Forget Copenhagen and Hamburg. On April 20, fly Norwegian direct from CPH to Amsterdam (5:25 pm - 6:50 pm) - tickets available now for €42. Now you have time for the rest.

Personally I love Copenhagen - and the train/boat to Hamburg was a real highlight. Hamburg is interesting, well worth a day, but challenging. I loved Miniatur Wunderland. If travelling that way, I thought Lübeck was outstanding and if you are doing this trip, it’s well worth popping off the train there for half a day.

But that said, you do have too much and I’m not really helping!

It's ok, Jane :) Too many interesting sights is how I got to this point-ooh, look, a shiny new city to visit! It's way too easy to do!

Everyone has interesting (and knowledgable) comments that will be immensely useful, especially mentioning specific flights and trains. Connections are the glue that either holds things together (epoxy) or causes them fall apart (glue sticks). No offense taken on Hamburg, either way. This is a great community to help figure things out, much appreciated!

Oh, Jane-what experiences or places did you like best about Copenhagen?

Oh, Jane-what experiences or places did you like best about Copenhagen

It’s difficult to say. It was really the whole vibe of the city. I rented an Airbnb for a week and pretended to live there; used public transport a lot. I enjoyed doing a boat ride, I loved Tivoli Gardens for the old-fashionedness. I ate New Nordic cuisine at a brilliant place called Relae. I went to Helsingor Castle by public transport then stopped at the superb Louisiana museum on the way back. I went to several castles and a fantastic food market. But my absolute favourites were (a) looking at Scandinavian design in houseware stores and (b) just walking & public transporting around a friendly, safe, comfortable, beautiful city.

Vibe is a good thing, I agree. This is one of the things I love to do, too, is wander around. Honestly, I have visited foreign grocery stores just for the experience. Finding out they the carry "American Sauce" in Vienna still sticks in my mind, as does the fact that dogs were allowed on the Metro there. So I see what you mean. Thanks for weighing back in, I appreciate it!

So- potential revised itinerary:

Thursday, April 19th: arrive Copenhagen
Friday April 20th: Copenhagen
Saturday April 21st: Copenhagen evening fly to Amsterdam
Sunday April 22nd: Amsterdam
Monday April 23rd: Amsterdam
Tuesday April 24th: Amsterdam
Wednesday April 25th: Amsterdam train from Amsterdam to Caen rent car in Caen (husband wants some driving time to poke around in France)
Thursday April 26th: DDay tour in Normandy
Friday April 27th: Driving to Versailles (suggestions welcome) return car to Hertz in Versailles- sleep in Paris
Saturday April 28th: Paris
Sunday April 29th: Paris
Monday April 30th: Paris (perhaps we should regretfully change hotel to be near CDG that evening)
Tuesday May 1st: midday fly home :(

You'll want at least 2 nights (= only one full day) in Bayeux and in Amboise. 3 nights would be better, especially in Bayeux.

My suggested rule of thumb: If you cannot swing even the bare minimum to visit someplace, save it until you can. Unless it is 100% enroute already.

That Amsterdam-Normandy day isn't going to provide a great deal of extra time for seeing France from behind the wheel. There's a 5 hr. 43 min. train routing that begins with an 8:17 AM departure from Amsterdam. It has a couple of changes in Paris (that's always fun) and gets you to Caen at 2 PM. (The next rail options wouldn't get you to Caen until almost 4 PM.) Then you need to pick up your car and drive to Bayeux and check into your lodgings. I think you'll have time to see the tapestry (closes at 6:30 PM) and either walk around the historic center of town or spend some time in the WW II museum (closes at 6 PM). Of you could take a bit of a detour on the way to Bayeux, I guess, if you don't care about seeing the tapestry or the museum, perhaps having a bit of time to see the town before you leave for Versailles a couple of days later.

I've lost track of whether you've been to Paris before. If you haven't, I might hold off on Normandy and spend that time in Paris. The train I mentioned above gets into Paris at 11:35 AM. Alternatively, you might skip Versailles on this trip and add a day to Normandy so you can see a bit more of it.

Versailles is mostly a drop off point on the way to Paris, as opposed to going around to CDG to drop off the car, really not for visiting purposes. So that day becomes a very small opportunity to poke around a for a few hours. No, I've not been to Paris before. My husband had the grand opportunity to spend one evening in Paris with friends who were at the end of their year there, before he proceeded to 2 days business trip in Bordeaux (a fairly isolated opportunity). Sadly, his friends will have moved on before I get to Paris. Thank you so very much for the information on the train timing. Sounds like it bears careful planning to avoid a misstep and wasted time.

Thank, Brad, for reminding me that Normandy has lots to offer :)

Amboise had been regretfully scratched for more time in Paris.

Paris looks lovely and interesting!

I think your revised itinerary would work. Acraven has done some research re your Amsterdam-Caen rail connection, but unless I'm mistaken it will involve getting from Gare du Nord to Gare St-Lazare in central Paris. The quickest and simplest way to do this would be by taxi, especially with luggage, but you could also use the RER "E" train. Maybe she knows something I don't though and you won't have to go into Paris for this.

Bayeux is a good base for Normandy, easily reached from Caen, close to the beaches, and with its own cathedral and tapestry as a bonus.

Unless Versailles is really a destination in itself, why not just return the car in Caen and take the train back to Paris? Seems simpler.

You're right. There's a cross-Paris transfer there. I had to do that last summer, and all went well (I used Metro), but it is most definitely nerve-wracking. And I had the advantage of already knowing what route to take between platforms and Metro, plus I had a Metro ticket in hand, thanks to a stop at that station earlier in my trip.

Oh dear. THAT kind of planning between stations! Oooh my. Cross Paris transfer. Yes, a cab might be easier.

The car got involved because my husband hopes to find some little interesting stop on the way back to Paris, but drop the car at a Hertz place before we actually get into Paris. Me, myself, I'd be camped out with the no-car people. But you know, my train, his car...we try to make sure each gets some of their wishes :)

Thank you both for helping to figure out the details! If there are other places just outside Paris to drop off the car and Metro in, that would also be welcome knowledge.

Rouen and Chartres are both closer to Paris than Caen, and have good train service to Paris. Both have great cathedrals and Rouen also has a renowned art museum and Joan of Arc sites. I wouldn't try to see both, but I bet you could return the car easily at either.

Honfleur, at the mouth of the Seine, is a beautiful harbor town with an interesting church. It would not detain you long. Nearby LeHavre has good train service to Paris. Another choice altogether.

Personally - which is a very important qualifier - I use a rule that, if I think a major destination can be covered in one day, it probably isn't worth visiting.

I have also learned over many years of travel, that staying put in one place for a few days is a little like entering an unlit room. The longer you stay, the more you realise is in there. Especially with cities, one day is like opening the door, looking inside for a moment, then closing the door again. All you just did was miss most of it. Stay a little longer and your eyes will be opened.

Thanks much, Dick and steves_8. Very useful information from the very specific to the broader perspective. It all helps a great deal! There's always more to discover about a place, it's true, and what's more, it's fun!

And it leads to more time spent not surrounded by other tourists.

Still, it's a balance. I spent 89 days in France last summer and never made it to Paris (which I visited once, fairly briefly, over 40 years ago). Few people would be willing to do that, and I'm not sure I should have! In effect, I opted for places like Perpignan over Paris. (Perpignan sort of falls in the "interesting enough" category but is a very convenient base for some attractive small towns and rural areas.) I hope to return to France in 2019 to see the western half of the country and Paris, but you never know.

Yes, that sounds like a good balance for a longer stay. I live outside of DC, so it seems kind of special to visit someone else's big city, and see their special treasures, get a sense of their city vibe. I do have a bit of patience for tourist hordes, but no desire to see every icon on the map. I'm hoping to see Notredam, some of the Louvre, hang out and maybe picnic in Jardin du Luxembourg, have a nice meal in some side street café. Some strolling around Marais, maybe find a small shop selling crafts. Not paying to climb the Arc de Triomphe, but I do like to see the famous settings. Now if I had the luxury of a long visit, I might settle in somewhere, but I'm curious to see what country it might be! Fun to find out and plan for that month in retirement.

There is plenty of advice available for visitors to Paris and few people don't know about the most famous attractions. However, one activity that isn't so famous but, having tried it a couple of years ago and loved it, I can highly recommend, is a dinner cruise aboard 'Le Calife'. I booked this for our anniversary and my wife absolutely adored it.

There are plenty of such cruises available but most are aboard rather large and modern 'barges' with huge dining areas behind panoramic windows. They provide a good way to see Paris from the river, but for me they are a little too much like a floating canteen and so not very romantic which, let's face it, is what many of us expect to feel in 'gay Paris'.

Le Calife is tiny by comparison, hence it provides a more intimate atmosphere and experience. The food was excellent, too. If this sounds more like your idea of a dinner cruise, you will love it, I assure you. It's easy to find on the interweb, if you're interested.

Girl! I’m glad you pared down your cities! I had a similar itinerary last year and what we did (with help from this forum) is to TAKE THE THALYS TRAIN FROM AMSTERDAM TO LILLE, FRANCE! I wasn’t shouting, I put it in all caps to get your attention! Don’t hassle with taking the train all the way to Paris then having to go from one train station to another to catch the train to Caen. Good grief, that would be such a hassle. It’s only about 2.5 hrs via Thalys train. Pick up your rental car in Lille and drive down to Normandy. From Lille, it’s about a 4 hour drive to Bayeux. We stopped in Etretat so it took us a little longer. It has white limestone cliffs that we wanted to see. There are rental car offices at the Lille train station so you can pick your car up there. The train station is connected to a mall with a supermarket- good place to pick up food and drinks for the drive. And many thanks to Brad from Belmont Bay, VA who gave me this info which I’m now passing on to you.

Even though we had a car, we still took the Overlord tour that meets in Bayeux. They offer half and full day tours. I think it’s a worthwhile experience to do this with a knowledgeable guide. From Bayeux, you can drive to Paris. If hubby still wants to get driving out of his system, drop the car off at Orly. Then it’s a €25 taxi ride to your Paris hotel. Or you can drop your car off in Caen which has an excellent WW2 Museum and take the train to Paris.

Amsterdam is worth at least 2 nights. We went to Keukenhof and really enjoyed it. You don’t need a car to get there. If you go on the website, you can get your admission ticket in advance and pay for the shuttle as well. We spent about 4 hours there. Make sure you book your Anne Frank ticket as soon as you can. I think you can only buy tickets online now and reserve a time slot. There’s this delicious pancake house on the same street I recommend. Dutch pancakes, yum!

steves_8: "floating canteen"...! I have a sudden visualization of all of the Star Wars characters from the canteen where they meet up with Han Solo floating together down the Seine, loud music and all. Quite the cheery visualization after work :D I will look into your recommendation, thank you! It sounds peaceful, fun and romantic. I think we'd both enjoy it.

Claudette: Thank you for supplying another valuable piece to the puzzle! It sounds like it might work well to pick up the car before Paris, but while in France to avoid the drop off charge. That way, my husband gets to do his driving and we avoid the hairy train connection in Paris! Pure genius.

I almost had dropped Keukenhof for feeling so wistful about time in Amsterdam in general, but my husband was quite certain he wanted to see it, so I feel like we have worked out a win-win-win there, by putting extra days in Amsterdam because I'm sure I will enjoy it, too!

I think we may need to consolidate the hotel(s) in Paris, I'm working on that one. Apparently Marais is very nice, and we have hotel points to use at a Crowne Plaza there (it makes things a little more affordable). But because we added a Paris day, we wound up at a left bank Holiday Inn near the Luxembourg garden for one of our nights! One more little wrinkle to work out. Maybe an extra night will come up on the Crown Plaza's schedule in Marais, or I can persuade the hubster to schedule our nights only at the left bank Holiday Inn. I'm ok with either one, really.

Oh, yes, my husband has an Outlook reminder for 2 mos. ahead of time for the Anne Frank museum, and have booked a DDay tour. I love it when a plan starts coming together. Now, I can put aside a few of my travel books and concentrate on the rest :)

Oh good, I’m so glad you saw my message about Lille and renting a car there. I really love this forum and how helpful everyone is. Enjoy Keukenhof! It was a highlight of my trip last spring. There was a wonderful patisserie by our hotel in Amsterdam so we got sandwiches there and brought it to Keukenhof for a picnic lunch. It was easier than standing in line to buy food there.

Hopefully, you can consolidate your hotels in Paris. I stayed in Marais last spring and loved it. The area around Luxembourg Gardens is beautiful, too. I’ve also stayed in the 6th off Blvd St Germain and loved that location as well and that’s close to Luxembourg.

Alrighty! Hotels consolidated -staying in Marais! Done and done.

Hi I am going to disagree with most of the replys. Frankly I think Amsterdam is overrated and I would skip it for even Hamburg or Copenhagen.

I Do agree however with most that you may be overdoing it a bit and your rental car idea needs review to be sure you are not going to be hit with some big dropoff charges.

Thanks for your reply, aarthurperry! Hamburg will have to be on the next trip at this point, but I agree that it would surely be worth seeing. I wish I had several months to bounce around and be a temporary resident of many cities.

If your last posted itinerary is still the one then I think it's a great itinerary. I love Copenhagen. The Resistance Museum in Copenhagen is great. I love the Tivoli!

Hi Donna- yes, the winners are Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Normandy and Paris :) Thanks for the votes on the Resistance museum and Tivoli. Looking forward to both! Tivoli sounds like a pleasant place to unwind a little at the beginning of our trip.

I would live in Copenhagen if I could figure out how. Be careful to look both ways when you cross the streets - BIKERS are everywhere and the preferred mode of transport. I think we went to the Tivoli 3 out 4 nights on our first trip. Bring tissues to the resistance museum.

Thanks, Donna, I will be sure to look out! After almost getting run over in a bike lane in Austria years ago, it will hopefully stick in my head. It will make a good rush hour picture, I'll bet. I'm excited to have the chance to do a tiny bit of exploring there. Wish I had much more time in each city, but I'll take what I've got.

I'm late to the party, but I wanted to toss in my thoughts. I think this is the RS forum at its very best - an OP open to change to make her trip better, and truly engaged posters, extremely helpful and polite, with both general and detailed comments.

I'm delighted that you pared your trip down based on your family's priorities. I personally love Hamburg, Lübeck and northern Germany, but you made the right choice for you by looking at your own wishes.

My last two cents is that the Thalys train from Amsterdam to Lille recommended by Claudette - the one that takes 2.5 hours with no required train changes - only runs once a day, departing at 7:17 a.m. All other routes for the rest of the day require at least one change and thus take an hour or two longer. Just be aware of this when booking. It's very easy to see this on bahn.de in the column marked "Produkte" or "Products". If the route lists THA (Thalys) only, no changes are required. If it says THA, IC (Thalys, Intercity), or any more than one train "product", you are changing trains somewhere en route, with varying layover times.

Nelly- This forum has been a HUGE help, I agree! It's all to easy to get overwhelmed with so many choices; it's like a travel buffet! I had a stack of books, and not enough time to read them and make informed choices. You do have to be clear on your own priorities, otherwise you'll get run over with everyone's (differing) good intentions, just like any other aspect of life :)

Thanks so much for your train suggestion, I will be sure to forward it to my husband, who is in charge of reservations. It sounds useful. All of these small details will make a big difference. Like the five P's my Mom has said: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. And crabby tourist couples...!

It seems like a Whitman's Sampler tour. You'll get a taste but not an in-depth understanding. We've done trips like that and enjoyed them a lot. We've also spent three weeks at a home exchange in Paris and London (twice each) and enjoyed those times, too. When Rick Steves says, "Assume you will return." he was certainly right in our case. Somehow after never traveling, we became annual tourists to Europe beginning in 2008.

It is a bit of that, I agree! I sure do hope to return, but I am glad that we trimmed our itinerary a bit, so that we can build in some moseying time. Glad you all have been able to regularly return. i hope in a few years we can do something like that, too!